Birthdays: Russ Halverson (5/15) and Keith Covey (5/19)

Next Week: Rob Bierman, Jane Fenton, Clarice Grabau – Reflections on the Rotary International Conference in Thailand – (Clarice Grabau)

Last Week:

Leonardo Fanton was a late-entry to this year’s group of exchange students, but he has settled nicely into life in Northfield. The 17-year old from Brazil was placed in Coon Rapids from August through March, before coming to Northfield. He is staying with Marilyn and Tim Hanson. His counselors are Mark and Sue Quinnell.

Leo comes from Bariri, a city in the state of Sao Paulo. His father is an agronomist who grows sugar cane and raises fish, pigs and water buffalo. His mother owns a perfumery. His only sibling is an older brother who is following in his father’s footsteps by studying agronomy in college.

Leo proudly gave us a postcard tour of Brazil, the beautiful beaches, the majestic waterfalls, the intriguing Amazon Rain Forest and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and one of the leading producers of sugar cane, soybeans and coffee. Leo’s home state of Sao Paulo is known for its high quality of life.

Since coming to Minnesota, Leo has been introduced to snow, our professional sports teams, the North Shore and ultimate Frisbee. When he returns to Brazil this summer, he will have six more months of high school and then he hopes to go to college in aeronautical engineering. His goal is to become an airline pilot.

Leo thanked his host family, his counselors and the club for all of the support he has received. He described his time here as “an amazing experience.”

Mini Classification

Mark Quinnell is not quite a native Northfielder (He was born in Minneapolis.), but he certainly qualifies as a “townie.” He graduated from Northfield High School in 1976, attended St. Olaf College, where he played football for Tom Porter, and except for a couple of years in Montana, he’s lived his life here. He has been a State Farm Insurance representative here for 25 years.

Mark and Sue have been married for 30 years. They have two children, Emily, who is in graduate school at University of Wisconsin – Madison, and Evan who is a sophomore at St. Olaf College.

Guests:  Julie Pritchard (Puczko), Alan Anderson (Wolf) Klaus Schneegans (Wakely), Annika Johnson, Elizabeth Pritchard and Steven Taylor (Arens), Tom Dobrow, Matt Irwin and George Zuccolotto (Amerman), Susan Quinnell, Marilyn and Tim Hanson and Leo’s posse (Fanton), Beth Kallestad (Kaczmarek).

Scholarship Enhancement: Mathilde. This is why Danes are happy. They’re lucky.

Announcements:

Oumar Diallo of Carleton was runner-up for the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship; Sarah Melcher of St. Olaf was named second runner-up.

Dale Ness reported that Rotary was recognized recently for its contribution to the Northfield High School for improvements at Rock Field.

Coming Up:

May 31 – Legislative Session summary  – Senator Al DeKruif and Representative Kelby Woodard  (Hoschouer)

June 7 – Lori Sturdevant, Star-Tribune Opinion Columnist (Kyte)

June 7 – Graduation Party for Exchange Students, 5:30 – 8:30 PM – Estenson Entertainment Center

Birthdays: Charlie Cogan and Mark Henke (5/6) and Ivan Imm and David Halsor (5/7)

Next Week: St. Olaf College President David Anderson (Koenig)

Last Week:
Bob Craig’s been around. His career as an academic found him crisscrossing the United States and either studying or teaching in places like Scotland, China, Norway and Central America. His rap sheet, I mean vitae, is at least two pages long, and that’s in small type.

He blended interests in religion, politics and history for a rich and varied academic career. His international travels provided him personal insight into some of the major political and cultural waves of our time.

A product of California, Bob attended University of California at Santa Barbara. There, on a blind date, he met the woman who was to become his wife of now 49 years. He attended Howard Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary and New College in Edinburgh, Scotland, but preferred academic pursuits to a pastoral career.

The Civil Rights Movement and his experiences in Central America during the late 1970s and early 1980s shaped Bob’s personal and political philosophy. He calls them defining chapters of his life.

He taught in Costa Rica from 1978-1982 when Central America was one of the world’s hotspots. Some of his colleagues and students were exiles from Nicaragua and El Salvador, both cauldrons roiling with civil strife. These were dark and brutal times, and many of Bob’s friends, who supported the poor and marginalized in their home countries, were murdered because of their commitment to social change.

“If there is one thing I’ve learned over my life,” he said, “is poverty is human made, and humans can change it.”

Bob retired from an academic position at St. Scholastica in Duluth, and he and his wife moved to Northfield to be closer to family. He said Northfield is a place to call home.

He and wife like to hike. An 87-mile walk in Scotland is on their calendar. They have also gone on an African safari. Bob has jumped into civic life in Northfield. He is a member of the Northfield Heritage Preservation Commission.

Mini Classification

Rick Estenson grew up in Hector, Minn, the son of a teacher and a high school principal. He attended Luther College, a family tradition, graduating with a degree in accounting.

He worked for the Chicago Board of Trade, Piper Jaffrey and Wells Fargo, before joining First National Bank in 2004. He and his wife, Kris, moved here in 1991. They have two children, Sam and Maria, who enjoyed the benefits of the Northfield school system, Rotary’s exchange program and a supportive community. Rick finds Northfield an interesting place to live and appreciates its global perspective. He also appreciates this club’s energy and “get it done” attitude.

Guests:  Randy Johnson (Ophaug), Aish’s family (Aish)

Scholarship Enhancement: Devon Barnes

Announcements:
Chris Weber reported that five local students are finalists for Rotary’s Global Grant Scholarship. They are Caleb Harrison and Sarah Melcher from St. Olaf and Oumar Diallo, Stephen Grabowski and Lipi Gupta from Carleton. Five finalists will be interviewed for the $30,000 award for international study.

David Koenig’s wife, Jennifer, is being treated for a malignant brain tumor. Liz Lathrop is coordinating family support. There is a Caring Bridge site for Jennifer at  www.caringbridge.org “jenniferkoenig”

Today is the last day to submit your nominations for the Marston Headley Service Above Self Award. They can be turned in to Jim Pokorney, Candy Taylor of Scott Richardson.

Coming Up:

May 17 – St. Olaf College President David Anderson (Koenig)

May 24 – Rob Bierman, Jane Fenton, Clarice Grabau – Returnees from Thailand – (Clarice Grabau)

May 31 – Legislative Session summary  – Senator DeKruif, Representative Woodard  (Hoschouer)

June 7 – Lori Sturdevant, Star-Tribune Opinion Columnist (Kyte)

June 7 – Graduation Party for Exchange Students, 5:30 – 8:30 PM – Estenson Entertainment Center

Birthdays: Geralyn Sheehan (5/2), Colleen VanBlarcom (5/3), Rick Estenson (5/4).

Next Week: Leo Fanton, Our Exchange Student fro Brazil (Quinnell)

Last Week:
If ever Northfield Hospital & Clinics decides to carve its own Mount Rushmore, Mary Quinn Crow will have a place on it.

Mary retired at the end of April after a long and distinguished career. During her 32-years at Northfield Hospital & Clinics, she helped guide the organization’s transformation from a homey, neighborhood hospital to a progressive regional medical destination.

She began as a night nurse on the delivery ward, one of only four nurses in the building during that shift. She served as director of the maternity ward for 10 years, before making the leap in 1994 to administration, where she served as Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Operating Officer for the next 18.

Reviewing the early years of her career, we learned why there are two stools in the delivery room (The physician and the wobbly fathers couldn’t share.) and how hospital staff improvised when a helicopter needed the parking lot for landing space.

Mary said local physicians had a great influence on the growth and development of the hospital. She mentioned Gretchen Ehresmann, MD, the community’s first female physician, for her work on the obstetrics department; David Larson, MD, for his work on emergency services; and Jim Evans, MD, and Bob Shannon, MD, for their strong leadership throughout.

When Brad Wille and Bob Shepley committed to an orthopedic practice in Northfield, things really changed, she said. They were the first full-time surgeons in town, and hospital services needed to expand to support their work.

Despite serving in many different capacities throughout her career, Mary never lost her passion for patient care. She is still a nurse, through and through.

“The reason I stayed here (for 32 years) is because we treat our community,” she said. “When patients come through the door, they’re not strangers with a diagnosis. They are our neighbors.”

Mini Classification

Mark Henke, president and CEO of Northfield Hospital & Clinics, was born in Rochester, raised in Stewartville, attended St. Olaf College and received an MBA from Northern Illinois University. He has worked in healthcare for 27 years, first with Mayo Clinic and then Sanford Health System before coming to Northfield in 2010. He and his wife, Joyce, have five children ages 12 to 25

Guests:  Nalongue Cogan and Martina Berg (Cogan), Suzy Rook (Hoschouer), Alan Anderson (Wolf) and our exchange students.

Scholarship Enhancement: Bob Craig, the Itinerant Academic

Announcements:
President Bierman, President-Elect Fenton and Clarice Grabau are off to the International Rotary Convention in Thailand. Wish them well.

Vicki Dilley suffered a dislocated finger while whitewater rafting in Brazil as part of the GSE trip. Her spirits remain high. The trip extends through the middle of May. You can follow her on her blog at http://gse-brazil-2012.blogspot.com.br/

Jim Pokorney invited members to submit nominations for the Marston Headley Service Above Self Award. Nomination forms will be available today. Submissions are due by the close of business on May 10.

Charlie Cogan reported that the garage sale organized and promoted by hospital colleagues of his wife, Nalongue, netted more than $3,000 for the Children’s Hospital in Togo.

The club sponsored three Northfield High School students – Steven Taylor, Elizabeth Pritchard and Annika Johnson – at Camp RYLA recently at Camp St. Croix near Hudson, Wis. Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) is a five-day camp, designed to strengthen leadership skills of high school students. They will share their experience with us today.

Coming Up:

May 17 – St. Olaf College President David Anderson (Koenig)

May 24 – Rob Bierman, Jane Fenton, Clarice Grabau – Returnees from Thailand – (Clarice Grabau)

May 31 – Legislative Session summary  – Senator DeKruif, Representative Woodard  (Hoschouer)

Birthdays: Paul Reiland (4/16), Wayne Abdella (4/17) and John Fossum 4/19)

Camilo Zuluaga, our exchange student from Colombia, characterizes himself as “shy, but friendly.”

I’d say he’s half right. He is certainly friendly. But I have to wonder about this shy business. His radiant smile and great comedic timing suggests he is pretty comfortable meeting new people and making presentations. But, whatever he says goes. He is our guest.

Camilo comes from Palmira, a city of some 350,000, nestled in the heart of the country’s largest agriculture sector. His mother is a lawyer for a public service company; his father manages a sugar cane farm. His home town is not much of a tourist destination, but beyond production of sugar cane and coffee, it also known for its large number of bicycles per capita, second highest in the world.

Colombia is known for celebrities such as Shakira, a singer, and Sofia Vergera, an actress on Modern Family, and, unfortunately, its drug cartels. Camilo said they are working hard to change their image in the eyes of the world.

This is Camilo’s third excursion to the United States. He came to Northfield seeking to improve his English and to learn about another culture. We introduced him to snow, American football, and we facilitated his visit to Alaska.

Upon his return home, he hopes to attend the University of Cali in Colombia and study Economics and International Business. And with that, he hopes to do more traveling through exchanges with other universities.

 Mini Classification

Pat O’Neil grew up in an Irish home in Cadillac, Mich., the sixth of seven boys.

From his father, who worked in a hardware store, he learned to put the customer first. His mother, the family disciplinarian, shared her love of reading with Pat and the boys and taught them to appreciate the food on the plates in front of them.

Pat moved to Northfield in 1983 when he purchased the optometry practice from Dr. Moore. He merged his practice with Allina in 1994 and then created the River Valley Vision Centers in 2004. His practice will have a new name in May, so stay tuned.

Pat and his wife, Dawn, have three grown children, and they have been involved with four different exchange students over the years. This year, they are serving as Camilo’s counselors.

Pat values the interconnections with his patients and neighbors in Northfield. “We weave our way into this community, and I find this very fulfilling,” he said.

Guests:  Beth Kallestad (Kaczmarek), Karna Halverson and Hank and Kari Nelson (Camilo), Down O’Neill (O’Neill), Ruby Sheets (Weber), Amy Merritt and Cliff Martin (Fenton)

Scholarship Enhancement: The Notorious Jane Fenton

Announcements:
Vicki Dilley is off to Brazil on the GSE trip. You can follow her on her blog.

We received cards of gratitude recently, one from the Northfield Historical Society for our recent $4,000 contribution to its capital campaign, and one from the district polio eradication committee for our $8,000 contribution.

Coming Up:

May 3 — Confessions of an Itinerant Academic, Bob Craig’s

Classification (Estenson)

May 10 – Leo Fanton, Brazil (Quinnell)

May 17 – St. Olaf College President David Anderson (Koenig)

Birthdays: Megan Tsui (4/6)

Next Week: Michael McNally, “Center for Civic Engagement at Carleton” (Hargis)

Last Week:

Tablet technology is poised to transform the modern classroom.

According to Dr. Chris Richardson, superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, and Matt Hillmann, director of Human Resources and Technology, for Northfield Public Schools, we’ve reached the “tipping point” where iPads and android phones will soon elbow the conventional textbook aside, ushering in a new era in primary and secondary education.

“New format learning is anywhere, anytime, any format that makes sense,” Dr. Richardson said.

Teachers lecturing before a class will give way to teachers facilitating and guiding customized learning that honors a student’s learning style, content interest and academic development.

“Instead of being the sage on the stage, they will be guides on the side,” said Dr. Richardson.

Hillmann demonstrated an online textbook for the group. It looked like a standard downloaded book, but there was video and animation embedded in the text. Online texts can be updated continuously, avoiding the problem of conventional textbooks being outdated the minute they come off the press.

Northfield Public Schools is still about two years away from implementing this shift kindergarten through high school. Hillmann said the district is doing its research to develop a sustainable program that is both academically and fiscally responsible. The school board will soon receive a “road map” outlining the steps and a timeline needed to make this happen.

Hillmann said caring, committed teachers will still be the key to student learning, but we cannot ignore technology is reshaping the learning process.

“We need to prepare kids for their future, not our past,” Hillmann said.

New Members: Craig Hall (V. Dilley) and Jon Snodgrass (Rich) were formally inducted into the club. Craig is a nurse anesthetist at Northfield Hospital & Clinics. Jon Snodgrass is employed by Edward D. Jones in Northfield. Welcome Craig and Jon.

Guests:  Kathleen Hanson (Jean Larson) and our exchange students.

Scholarship Enhancement: Jim Blaha

Announcements:
Vicki Dilley is off to Brazil on the GSE trip. You can follow her on her blog.

Mathilde reported that Denmark has reclaimed its standing as the world’s happiest country.

Matt Hillmann is looking for help transporting three high school students to and from Camp RYLA. He needs a driver to take them up on April 20 and one to bring them home on April 24.

Ingrid Sampo, the former Miss Henning, reminded us of the Sixth Annual Northfield Retirement Community Golf Classic on June 4.

David Brown encouraged club members to consider making a donation to the Rotary Foundation as part of “every Rotarian every year” campaign.

Rotary Responders will have a training session on May 5 to learn about what needs to happen within the first eight hours of a disaster. See David Koenig for details.

Rotary District 5960 will hold the District Conference and Assembly on April 14 and 15 in River Falls, Wisconsin.  Officers are encouraged to attend, but it’s open to all Rotarians and is a great way to learn more about Rotary

Coming Up:

Birthdays: Beth Bergmans (4/2)

Next Week: Camilo Presents (O’Neill)

Last Week:

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says the proposed constitutional amendment that would require photo ID at the polls is misnamed. Instead of the Voter Photo ID Amendment, he said, it should be called the “Chaos Amendment.”

The Photo ID label distracts us from the more problematic aspects of the proposed constitutional change, the Secretary said. It would eliminate same-day registration and replace it with provisional voting. Eliminating same-day registration, he said, could prevent a half million people from voting. Provisional voting is a cumbersome process. Where it currently exists, a third of the provisional votes are never counted.

Secretary Ritchie predicts controversy if the amendment moves forward. He noted that recently Maine voted 61 percent to 38 percent to keep same-day registration in place.

Constitutionally, the Secretary of State serves as the state’s chief election officer. He and his staff supervise elections, providing computer backup for clerks in townships and cities and auditors in each of Minnesota’s 87 counties. He serves on the State Canvassing Board and has a front row seat if there are recounts. And there have been recounts.

Minnesota has one of the country’s highest voter turnouts — 78 percent in the last presidential election. Secretary Ritchie is proud of that. But he said more should be done to encourage others to vote.

He is inspired by a common theme he has heard from those who do actively participate in the public process. He said they are patriotic and good stewards of the values that underpin our freedoms. They’ve told him: “We’re taking care of the things we love. Voting is part of that.”

Mini Classification

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroguin was born and raised in Guatemala. He came to Minnesota in 1992 and later that year married his wife, Amy. He has lived in Minnesota ever since. They settled in Northfield in 2006, and Reggie spends his time working to reshape our current food production and distribution system into a more sustainable, affordable and accessible industry. Reggie has known Secretary Ritchie for more than 10 years as both a mentor and a colleague.

Reggie and Amy have three children, Willy, Nicktai and Lars.

Guests:  Faye Caskey (Caskey), Leighton Hambrick (Fenton), Scott Arnson (Madigan), Peter Barney (Cogan), Jon Snodgrass (Weber) and our Exchange Students.

 Scholarship Enhancement: Candace Taylor

Announcements:
Jean Wakely and Lee Dilley thanked everyone who made the GSE team visit such a success.

Guest Leighton Hambrick invited members to volunteer for a pilot program he is developing for Laura Baker Services Association. It’s called Circle of Care and is designed to provide 36-hour respite for families that have children with developmental disabilities.

Scott Arnson announced the Tour de Red Wing Saturday, April 21, in Red Wing. Bikers can choose from a 10, 25 or 40-mile routes that begin at the Minnesota State College SE Technical in Red Wing. Proceeds will benefit Red Wing Rotary’s Strive program, a mentoring program for high school seniors.

Todd Thompson recently met with a Rotary club in Guatemala and returned with one of their club flags. He said he hopes to develop a partnership with them.

Rotary District 5960 will hold the District Conference and Assembly on April 14 and 15 in River Falls, Wisconsin.  Officers are encouraged to attend, but it’s open to all Rotarians and is a great way to learn more about Rotary

Coming Up:

Birthdays: Clarice Grabau and Yogi (3/27)

Next Week: Transformational technology in public schools | Chris Richardson and Matt Hillmann (Hillmann)

Last Week: …..

Devon Barnes gave his classification talk. Devon has deep ties — four generations — to Washington State.  He shared his love for Washington State, speaking of the diverse agriculture and the climate ranging from rain-soaked Olympia National Forest (176” annual rainfall) to arid Spokane (17”) and Moses Lake (7”).

He was born in Wenatchee, grew up in Everett, WA, about 25 miles from Seattle. Nevertheless, he managed to divide his growing up years between both coasts, spending a great deal of time in the areas of Waterville, WA and Philadelphia/Ocean City, NJ.  He comes from a background of hard workers. One grandfather worked with agriculture in Washington and the other worked his way up to become a senior VP in a large Philadelphia brokerage house.

With a diverse background and an adventurous spirit, he kept active growing up.  He worked on mechanical things with his dad in their garage, he became a certified scuba diver at 14, rowed crew, and was heavily involved in Boy Scouts.

Devon’s education and early career seem to be merely a cover to see how many different parts of the U.S. he could live in. His undergrad studies were in physics at the University of Puget Sound, he received a mechanical engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis.  His first job was for York Food systems in Seattle, and this brought him to Northfield for the first time in 1996 when York bought Northfield Freezing Systems.  He moved into sales and this brought him postings in Spokane, Ft. Worth, and Jacksonville, FL before moving back to Northfield with his family 18 months ago.

The move back to Northfield was coupled with a career change as Devon now works with Grid Logic, a custom software manufacturer.  Devon is married to Kim, and they have two daughters, Alanah and Tarah. Devon says he’s a “yes guy to about anything,” with many part-time hobbies including  pond skating with his family, cooking, swimming, skiing and working with his tools.

Why Northfield?  In addition to the new job, Devon cited his familiarity with the town and people here, good schools, and the northern climate.

Why Rotary? Devon was first attracted to the club by friends who are Rotarians. He sees it as a way to give back to the community, a good way to meet others who are active in the community,  and a way to serve others both locally and internationally.  He hopes to expose his own children to the Rotary Youth Exchange program and to create a good role model for his children.

Mini Classification

Russ Halvorson gave a mini-classification talk, quickly informing us that he was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Winona and Rochester.  He is a third generation land surveyor and has lived in in Northfield for six years.

It was in Rochester that he met his wife Karna, who was an exchange student in in England in 1989-90. Russ and Karna are sold on youth exchange; they have hosted two exchange students and serve as North Star Rotary Youth Exchange Country Officers for Spain and Poland. Russ recently attended the North America Youth Exchange conference in Alaska.  He and Karna are expecting their first child.

Guests:  Erin Mayberry (V Dilley); Kimberly and Alanah Barnes and Tony and Linda Starbird (Barnes); Tami Enfield (Tate Running); Rachel Vanderboom (Reiland)

 Scholarship Enhancement: Ivan Imm

Announcements:
— Jean Wakely and Lee Dilley announced that the GSE team from Brazil arrived in Miami Thursday morning and they will be in town through Wednesday morning.

— Vicki Dilley informed us that the club expects to receive inbound exchange students from Indonesia (boy), France (girl), Ecuador (boy), Taiwan (boy), Japan (girl) and in January a student from South Africa.  We will need volunteers to help with interviewing host families.

Paul Reiland announced the John Falck Memorial Golf Tournament, which will be  held August 2, 20112, will support Three Links Foundation.

Rotary District 5960 will hold the District Conference and Assembly on April 14 and 15 in River Falls, Wisconsin.  Officers are encouraged to attend, but it’s open to all Rotarians and is a great way to learn more about Rotary

Coming Up:

Birthdays: Rich Lorang (3/21) and Earl Crow (3/24).

Next Week: Secretary of state Mark Ritchie (Haslett-Marroquin)

Last Week: …..

(Editor’s Note: I am a Liberal Arts major, and you will find only two science courses on my transcript. With apologies to James Grabau, who inhabits a universe far, far from mine, the following is my ham-handed attempt to convey what transpired last week.)

It is a brave new world, and James Grabau has a front row seat.

He works in Applied Marketing for Illumina, Inc, selling DNA sequencing equipment. The company’s leading-edge technology is helping to transform agriculture by accelerating the selection process that identifies more productive crops and livestock.

He says there is a real need for this. Rising prosperity and longer life spans and are fueling worldwide population growth. All of us will need to be fed.

“We need to produce more food in the next 50 years than we produced in the last 10,000,” he said.

His company has a philanthropic program called the Agriculture Greater Good Initiative. It uses Illumina’s sequencing and genotyping technology to help struggling populations increase their food production. Its first project grant was to the International Rice Institute in the Philippines in 2011. This year, they are working on three projects in Africa, including work with goat herds and the giant Baobab tree.

The application of genetic sequencing science raises ethical questions, but James cautioned us to not confuse his company’s gene marker assisted selection with genetically modified plants. They are not the same.

In the end, he says, we will need the technology to sustain the species. Organically grown food will not meet the demand, he said.

Guests: Pablo (Bierman), Jon Snodgrass (Rich), David Jacobson (Rich), Merlin Paschall-Zinkell, George Zuccolotto and Amy Merritt (Amerman).

Scholarship Enhancement: Ivan Imm

Announcements:

— There will be a GSE Team club social Saturday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. at Laura Baker Services Association, Millis Hall. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. The Brazilian exchange team will make a presentation and Aleka Pitsavas will perform. Members are free. Tickets for guests are $10. Please make your reservations.

— Brad Frago, our Youth Protection Officer, encouraged those who have significant contact with any of our exchange students to become a certified volunteer. It takes very little time to visit the Rotary 5960.org website, watch a short video and take the test. The certification is good for three years.

— The club has donated $1,000 to underwrite 10 chicken agri-preneurs in Ethopia. Mark Abbott of the International Service committee said this gift supports Laurie Pappas’s work there.

— We will be hosting an exchange youth from the New Generations Exchange Program and need a host family for a three-month stay in the fall. A youth 19-25 will be engaged in a business internship. Clarice Grabau will coordinate the visit.

Coming Up:

March 24 – Saturday – GSE team from Brazil Social

Birthdays: Scott Davis (3/11)

Next Week: Devon Barnes, classification (Halverson)

Last Week:

At 16 years of age, Nichapat has already logged a lot of travel miles. Besides her year here in Northfield, she has ventured from her Thailand home to visit Austrialia, New Zealand and Singapore.

She comes from a city of 90,000 in the middle of Thailand. Her family owns a motorcycle shop, and they live in the building, seven floors up. She has a sister, 26, and a 10-year old brother at home. Her family is currently serving as a host for an exchange student from Oregon.

Nichapat describes Thailand as a vibrant country, teeming open-air markets, colorful celebrations and traditional dancing. She’s been challenged to adapt to American customs. In Thailand they drive on the left side of the road. They shower twice a day and her school doesn’t permit colored hair or polished nails. She does both while living here.

Her host families — Rob and Clara Hardy and James and Clarice Grabau — have allowed her to experience all things Minnesotan. She been the State Fair, Duluth and walked barefoot in the snow. She’s skied for the first time and witnessed her first hockey and football games.

When Nichapat returns to Thailand, she still has three years of high school ahead of her. She’s only 16, remember.

Mini Classification — Brad Frago

   Brad fell in love with Northfield during his four years at Carleton College. After he graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, he clerked in Meeker and Renville counties before finding a similar opening in Rice County.

He met his wife, Michelle Lasswell, at a job interview. They now practice family law together in Northfield. They have two children, 18 fish, two snails and a cat. Brad and Michelle are Nichapat’s counselors.

This just in….

Leo Fanton, an exchange student from Brazil, has joined us for the rest of the year. His host parents are Tim and Marilyn Hanson. His counselors are Mark and Sue Quinnell. Welcome Leo.

Presentation: President Bierman presented a $4,000 check to the Northfield Historical Society, for the society’s Next Level Capital Campaign. The campaign is funding an $800,000 accessibility project that has resulted in an elevator for the building and six ADA equipped public restrooms.

NHS Executive Director Hayes Scriven said he appreciated the financial support as well as the long partnership with Rotary over the years.

Guests: Rob and Clara Hardy, Eve Grabau, Izumi Takanashi, Deanna Haunsperger, Nhung Do (Nichapat); Cindy Carlson (Barry Carlson); Nancy Brown (Fenton); and Hayes Scriven (Bierman).

Scholarship Enhancement: Ingrid Sampo

Announcements:

— Our club camera seems to be at-large. If anyone knows of its whereabouts, please alert President Bierman.

— There will be a GSE Team club social Saturday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. some place close in Northfield. (Editor must have been napping here.) Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. There will be a presentation by the Brazilian exchange team and music performed by Aleka Pitsavas. Cost is $10.

— President Bierman congratulated Jane Fenton on her employer, Laura Baker Services Association, being named Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.

Coming Up:

March 24 – Saturday – GSE team from Brazil Social
March 29 - Secretary of state Mark Ritchie (Haslett-Marroquin)

Birthdays: Pat O’Neill (3/5), Mark Quinnell (3/7), Mark Thacher and Bob Will (3/8), Jodi Fritz (3/9), Aishwarya and Jim Herreid (3/10). Not Kurt Larson.

Next Week: Greater Good Initiative (James Grabau)

Last Week:

Lacrosse, a game of agility and hand-eye coordination that combines aspects of hockey and soccer, is gaining a foothold in Northfield.

Last spring, Matt Williams, a St. Olaf College student, helped coach two youth teams and hopes to double that number this spring. Lacrosse has long been popular on the Eastern Seaboard, and is recognized as Canada’s number one national sport. It is now migrating to the Midwest. Matt says it is the fastest growing sport in the country. Carleton and St. Olaf both have club teams, and several Big 10 schools are starting programs.

Lacrosse is played with 10 players to a team. Three players play offense, three play defense, three can roam the field and the goalie, of course, stays put. They all wear protective gear and wield four-foot sticks that feature a nylon mesh at the end. They storm up and down a field about the size of a soccer field, trying to fire a hard rubber ball into the opponent’s net at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. It is a contact sport, and the action is fast and furious.

Scores vary. Defensive battles might end 5-2, but in more wide-open offensive displays, a team can often score 15 points over four quarters, 15-minutes each in college, 12 minutes each in high school.

The high school squads play at the Northfield Middle School’s soccer fields. We are all invited to watch.

An Exercise Science major, Matt plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Mini Classification

Sam Gett is not a steel-drivin’ man, but he might know one. In his youth, he helped make the Pennsylvania steel the steel-drivin’ man was driving. His dad spent 35 years working in the steel mills.

It was that experience and that environment that propelled Sam into the heavy, intellectual lifting of journalism. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in Advertising and later picked up a Masters in Marketing from Youngstown State.

He worked in the news business in North Carolina, Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and back to Minnesota to work for Huckle Publishing in Northfield as the publisher of the Northfield News.

Sam is married with two children in high school.  One is an aspiring screenwriter, the other a prospective engineer.

This just in….Danny Dobrow Reports

Hi Missi and Northfield Rotary. I’m doing great, and it’s true. I am having a great time. I just moved to my third and last host family on Saturday, so I’ll be spending the next couple weeks hanging out with them and becoming friends. They have one boy who is my age and was in Canada two years ago, also with Rotary.

In other news, I’m enjoying school and all of my Danish friends. In April I’ll be traveling to Barcelona with my school class, and then in May I’ll be traveling around Europe on Euro Tour, so those are pretty exciting. Tomorrow I’m giving a presentation about myself completely in Danish, which will be the first time I’ve ever done that.. Needless to say I’m a little nervous. So… life’s good and I hope the same can be said in Northfield.
Danny Dobrow

Presentation:

Rotary presented a check for $20,000 to the City of Northfield for work on the bike trail loop between Northfield and Dundas. Mayor Mary Rossing said this will be a great recreational resource for the community. Our donation will help complete the southern segment which will be completed some time in the fall.

Guests: Jon Snodgrass (Bierman) and Elizabeth Hasse (Rogers)

Scholarship Enhancement: Jon Snodgrass

Announcements:

• President Bierman pronounced “To India and Back” a show to remember and thanked those who contributed to making the event a success. Rob also thanked Candy Taylor for organizing the youth exchange overnight.
• The club will be receiving another exchange student for the rest of the year. His name is Leo, and he comes from Brazil.  Please welcome him to Northfield.

• Aish took the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. If you would like to contribute to the fundraiser, please contact her.
• Chris Weber is looking for volunteers to help at a literacy event at Sibley School Thursday, April 12 4:45 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Coming Up:

March 22 - Devon Barnes, classification (Halverson)
March 24 – Saturday – GSE team from Brazil Social
March 29  Secretary of state Mark Ritchie (Haslett-Marroquin)